Leadership Development

Piper Fellows

About the Piper Fellows Program

The Trust created the Piper Fellows Program to recognize the contributions of the community's exemplary nonprofit leaders and help them -- and their organizations -- maintain and strengthen their professional vitality.

We believe that dynamic, creative people lead effective organizations. Rarely do nonprofit leaders have ample opportunity to replenish their intellectual and emotional energy in the demanding day-to-day pressures of their work. In order to strengthen their creativity and leadership ability, these leaders need time to think, to study, to grow and to dream.

The program offers up to five awards of up to $30,000 each to support the professional development of outstanding senior executives of established nonprofit organizations (those designated with 501(c)(3) status by the IRS) and governmental organizations who serve the people of Maricopa County in the areas of human services, health, education, religion, and arts and culture.

A Piper Fellows award is made to an organization in recognition of one of its executive staff members who has demonstrated creative and effective leadership, and who is deemed to have the potential to play a significant role in the organization's future. The awards are intended to provide the executive with a minimum of one month to a maximum of two months of work release time plus expenses for study and travel in order to enhance their skills and rejuvenate. Piper Fellows are encouraged to draw on international, national and regional educational resources for professional development during their sabbatical.

In addition, we recognize the need to stimulate professional development among other staff members. The Piper Trust therefore provides up to $10,000 for each recipient organization to match new or increased organizational funds for professional staff development. The purpose of this funding is to enable additional staff members to have access to training programs and othercapabilities in order to further benefit their organizations and their own careers.

Click on one of the links to the right to find out
more about the Piper Fellows Program,
or download the Piper Fellows Brochure.